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Prosecution Rests, Accused Terrorist's Father Takes The Stand

Prosecutors rested their case against 21-year-old Mohamed Mohamud, a young man raised in Beaverton who stands accused of trying to use a weapon of mass destruction.

Judge with gavel (file).

FBI

U.S. Attorneys’ closing witness was Evan Kohlmann, a consultant who analyzes messages and media from jihidist websites and keeps a database of those findings.

Kohlmann said prosecutors asked him to look into Mohamud after the defendant was arrested. He said he found several dozen messages Mohamud posted to various forums.

One of the messages that Kohlmann attributed to Mohamud discussed Osama Bin Laden. There were also messages soliciting a list of names of people who had, in his words, “insulted or attacked Islam.”

After Kohlmann was excused, the government wrapped up its case.

The first witness for the defense was Osman Barre, Mohamud’s father, an Intel software engineer. He cried on the stand describing how he brought his family from war-torn Somalia. Later, Barre said he knew his son was having an identity crisis - the whole family was having problems, he said.

But he maintained under cross-examination that his son is a “good-hearted kid, very simple.” He said he felt the FBI hadn’t shared important information with him. Barre approached the Bureau out of fear his son might try to leave the country.